In his annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, investment mogul Warren Buffett said the company's flight-services division-which includes fractional provider NetJets and aviation training company FlightSafety International-set a record last year with pre-tax earnings increasing 49 percent to $547 million.

Geneva, Switzerland, will once again host the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE), held May 20 through 22. Organized jointly by the European Business Aviation Association and the U.S. National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), the convention has become the premier event for business aviation in Europe since it was launched in 2001.

To find out more about Branson's latest brand, we spoke with the man who founded it and oversees its day-to-day operations.
What were you doing before this project came along?
I spent most of my career in the technology business and about three years ago was introduced to private aviation.As a passenger?

Bonus depreciation was introduced in the so-called Job Creation and Worker Assistance Act of 2002 in response to the economic malaise following 9/11. Under that act, if you contracted to purchase a factory-new aircraft on or after 9/11 and satisfied certain other requirements, you could start your tax depreciation with a 30-percent "bonus" amount in year one.

If you just can't get enough of aviation, we may have the perfect CD for you. Inspired by a love of airplanes to create what his Web site bills as a new musical genre, avant-garde Belgian composer Bruno Misonne features actual aircraft and airport noises (and in one case what sounds suspiciously like quacking ducks) on the techno-tracks of his new Aviation Music album.

Defenders of Berlin Tempelhof Airport in downtown Berlin have reported progress in their fight to keep the airfield open, as they have gathered the 170,000 votes required to force a public referendum. For the referendum to be valid, however, 25 percent of the city's 2.425 million voters must participate.

Adam Aircraft of Englewood, Colo., suspended operations on February 11 and four days later filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy, meaning the company will be liquidated. Adam had certified the A500 piston twin and was working on certification of the A700 very light jet.

If you've ever gazed out of an airplane window as you flew over the U.S. and wondered what exactly was down there, you might be interested in America from the Air, an ambitious new book by Daniel Mathews and James S. Jackson. It combines aerial photography of interesting sites found along many of the nation's flight paths with detailed descriptions of the areas.

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““[Bill Gates] has been historically one of my best supporters…One of my favorite e-mails he ever sent me…I proposed this crazy project. And he sent back this two-line response: ‘This has got to be the craziest thing you’ve ever suggested. Please proceed.’”
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